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Quarries of building stone and plentiful coal deposits are in the area, but they had no
commercial value because of the transportation costs. When first settled, the countryside was covered with dense growth of deciduous timber. The
settlers, not realizing the value of the hardwood, destroyed much of it in clearing farms. Some families used black walnut for fuel, little
dreaming that it would some day exceed in value the land upon which it grew. Sugar Maples once grew in all parts and sugar camps were profitably
worked. The soil is poorly adapted to farming, but the limestone underneath is favorable to the growth of bluegrass, which makes good stock and
grazing country.
The small community of Cataract is located near the upper falls. At the peak of its growth, Cataract was a bustling town, marketing lumber in
Greencastle and flour as far away as Louisville. When the saw mills played out and the use of grist mills declined, the town subsided into a sleepy
hamlet. Even though summer homes now dot the countryside and the Owen-Putnam border area is gaining new residents, the little community of Cataract
has not lost its homey village atmosphere. Next Page
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